The Primal Hunter

Jake landed on top of the barn as he looked through a broken rooftop window. He saw even more bovines inside, but they weren’t the first thing he noticed. It was the huge creature standing on top of an elevated platform, looking straight back at him.

”So, you are the one who’s been tracking me?” it asked in a rough voice.

Jake saw no reason to hide as he leaped through the window and landed just inside – standing in mid-air.

He saw a hulking Minotaur standing on what looked like a small stage, wearing simple garbs and wielding a staff. It was a bit over three meters tall, with curling bronze horns extending from its head. It looked quite familiar to the creature he had imagined, and his Identify made him aware that this was very likely the creature he had been tracking.

[Minotaur Mindchief – lvl ???]

”That would be me,” Jake answered as he stared down at the monster. He could feel its presence and get an estimate of it as he considered if he could fight it… stronger than the Thunder Roc and Storm Elemental… but differently.

But his intuition and danger sense didn’t scream at him or warn him like when he faced truly powerful enemies… yet he still had some reservations.

”Did you enjoy my work? It was… liberating to do,” the Minotaur said as it smiled up at him. ”I sincerely hope you can appreciate it. It is rare to find one who walks the same path.”

Jake looked confused down at the monster but decided to play along. He felt like there was some kind of misunderstanding, and if he could exploit that, he was more than willing to.

”It wasn’t exactly my style,” he answered.

”To crush the humans is something one should take pleasure in, is it not? Those accursed monkeys are now but prey to us,” the Minotaur chuckled as he motioned towards the back of the room.

Jake had already noticed them before, but looking at the cages at the back wall closer still made him frown.

There had to be at least a hundred people stashed into small cages, lined up neatly. All of them stood, sat, or were on the ground, their eyes totally blank as they just stared into empty space - all under the mental influence of the Mindchief.

”A bit crude and unnecessary,” Jake answered, a bit of contempt leaking into his voice.

”Hah, one of efficiency I see,” the Minotaur chuckled, not at all offended. ”But what other reason but pleasure is there to slay these monkeys? They are inferior now, remnants of the past to be crushed and forgotten.”

Jake frowned a bit again as he finally put two and two together. It thinks I am a monster, one that kills weaker humans as it does.

It… honestly shouldn’t be that surprising. While Jake did look humanoid, the only actual body part visible was two beastly eyes. The two wings on his back were surely not helping him look human either. He couldn’t even be Identified, making it even less obvious what race he was.

As to why it believed he hunted humans… well, because he had plenty of human blood on him. The girl he carried earlier hadn’t exactly been clean, and he had also come into contact with plenty of blood as he chased down the monster in front of him.

I can use this, but…

”Awfully talkative,” Jake said, wondering quite a bit about that part. While it didn’t exactly fall into the trope of the evil villain explaining his plans, it was pretty damn close.

I apologize. It is not often one encounters other sapients, much less ones able to speak. Even fewer again, those that do not attack at first sight,” the Minotaur said, shaking its head. ”It can be isolating to be the only one of your kind smarter

barn with pity. They were all just standing there, sometimes bumping into their neighbor or looking at the ground for signs of

people felt for companionship many had, but he could understand it. People were just built differently, and

social animals. So… had the poor genocidal Minotaur really

humans in cages?” he asked the Minotaur. If the overgrown cow wanted

Minotaur said, and Jake was already regretting his question as the

mood suddenly turned murderous as he roared. ”MY KIND! SOLD AS ITEMS TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER! TO BE SLAUGHTERED OR FORCED INTO PERPETUATING THE PURGATORY

breathed in calmly as he tried to relax. ”After I awakened, I finally understood - and I remembered - every second of every day. I was forced to breed; my life and the life of my kind treated as if we weren’t even alive. Born with our only fates being to bring more offspring and then be

smiled as he motioned towards the cages. ”So is this not fitting? The roles reversed, with the humans now the cattle and we the lords of their lives and deaths. The humans are weak now…

few humans and farmers based on how the farming industry tended

didn’t need to humiliate or torture. This Minotaur was clearly different,

them there to go kill, but instead, you have sent your kin there to die,” Jake asked, genuinely interested to know the answer to

the monster smiled. ”I need them to be big and strong before it is time

”By killing your kin?”

fates are to wait for death anyway, better for them to help the next generation. A herd too large can be detrimental, and it is only right to weed it out for the entire group to grow

Minotaur looked out towards the many Herd Leaders outside as he spoke with

of them do so. Let the human settlement become the feast that shall be

it finally

you to join my herd, even if you are not of

would I do

see that you have yet to cross the crevice… is it not an honor to serve those more powerful? I sense your power, but that final step is not easy. I would be more

compare the creature that created the gruesome scenes in the farmhouses and the polite cowman that stood in front of him. He had yet to show even a single sign of aggression, and while he wasn’t sure how it would

E-grade, and all logic dictated that the Minotaur was stronger than him. Jake

far removed from yours. You find pleasure in taking revenge on those weaker than yourself… without going into moral classics and arguing how you are becoming

Would it be way smarter to get in a good sneak attack? For sure. But Jake had decided to show the monster the basic fucking decency that it hadn’t

confused expression. ”Impossible… humans are weak, feeble creatures. You carry the presence of a predator

strong. Some are cruel; some are kind. To blame the entire human race is just stupid; quite a few humans in the old world

kept staring at him in confusion before its facial expression changed. From the rather kind-looking smile and welcoming demeanor, its eyes got a red sheen as its entire face

before Jake felt it. A stream of energy came towards him, and Jake swiftly dispelled the mana on his feet, and with a flap of his

pursuing revenge against them. A limited path with no future, far too confined. You don’t need more power to do what you wanted… satisfied to stay in this small area. It

had marked the monster with Mark of the Ambitious Hunter before he flew up

figure suddenly appeared in his sphere from behind – the Minotaur. His Mark told him it still stood unmoving inside the building below… but he trusted his sphere more than

as a staff swiped down, as he turned and saw… nothing. With his eyes, that is. He dodged another swipe from the staff as he fired a blast of mana from

suddenly it was revealed. At the same time, Jake’s Mark also snapshotted to the figure in front

the fight is already over?” a voice

holes opened up all over his body, spewing out blood like geysers, and Jake remembered how the staff that penetrated his body